Jets Add Four Assistants to Staff; Retain Sutton

The announcements were made by Head Coach Rex Ryan.

January 28, 2009—The
New York Jets announced the hiring of Wide Receivers Coach Henry
Ellard, Running Backs Coach Anthony Lynn, Assistant Secondary Coach
Doug Plank and Secondary Coach Dennis Thurman. The team also announced
that Bob Sutton will return as senior defensive assistant/linebackers.

Ellard (Fresno State/Fresno, CA)
joins the Jets after eight seasons as the wide receivers coach with the
St. Louis Rams (2001-08). Under Ellard’s tutelage, the Rams’ Torry Holt
posted seven consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and reached
11,000 career yards in 131 games, faster than any player in NFL
history. He also coached at his alma mater, Fresno State, in 2000.
Ellard, a second-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Rams in 1983,
finished his 16-season NFL career with 814 receptions for 13,777 yards
and 65 touchdowns for the Rams, Redskins and Patriots. Ellard is
currently tied for 19th in NFL history in receptions (Keyshawn
Johnson), and eighth all-time in receiving yards.

Lynn (Texas Tech/McKinney, TX)
spent the last six years as a running backs coach in the NFL, earning
two-year stints with the Browns (2007-08), the Cowboys (2005-06) and
the Jaguars (2003-04). In his first season at Cleveland, Lynn worked
with Jamal Lewis, who finished fifth in the NFL with 1,304 yards
rushing despite missing two games. At Dallas, Lynn oversaw the
emergence of the effective duo of Julius Jones and Marion Barber III.
At Jacksonville, Fred Taylor recorded two of the top four single-season
rushing performances in Jaguars history under Lynn. He began his
coaching career with the Broncos as an offensive assistant and
assistant special teams coach (2000-02). As a player, Lynn earned two
Super Bowl rings as a running back with the Broncos in 1997 and 1998
during his seven-year NFL career.

Plank (Ohio State/Greensburg, PA)
joins the Jets after working as a coaching assistant with the Atlanta
Falcons. Plank was the head coach of the AFL’s Georgia Force (2005-08),
compiling a 47-25 record while guiding the team to an ArenaBowl
appearance in 2005. In 2008, the Force won their third Southern
Division Championship under Plank while earning a playoff berth for the
fourth consecutive year. He was named the AFL Coach of the Year on two
occasions (2005 and 2007) and led the team to a franchise-best 14-2
record in 2007. Plank spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator
of the AFL Arizona Rattlers after serving as the team\‘s radio and
television analyst. Plank played in three Rose Bowls for Woody Hayes,
was a 12th round pick in 1975 and started eight seasons for the Chicago
Bears, where he was the first Bears rookie to ever lead the team in
tackles. The 1980s Bears “46 Defense,” developed by Buddy Ryan, father
of Rex Ryan, was named after Plank’s No. 46 jersey.

Thurman (USC/Los Angeles, CA)
coached the Ravens secondary from 2002-07 alongside Jets Head Coach Rex
Ryan. During his Ravens tenure, the team led the NFL with 126
interceptions and 18 interception returns for touchdowns while he was
coaching Ed Reed (34 INT, 2002-07), Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle and
Deion Sanders, among others. Before coming back to the NFL, he coached
the defensive backs at his alma mater, USC, for eight years
(1993-2000). He made his NFL coaching debut for the Phoenix Cardinals,
coaching defensive backs for two seasons (1988-89). Thurman, who had 36
career interceptions and played in Super Bowl XIII in 1979 during his
nine seasons as a cornerback and safety in the NFL for the Cowboys and
Cardinals, was a two-time All-American safety at USC, where he was part
of teams that won four bowl games and the 1974 National Championship.

Sutton (Eastern Michigan/Ypsilanti, MI)is entering his 10th
season with the Jets. A former head coach (1991-99) and assistant coach
(1983-91) at Army, he originally joined the Jets in 2000 as linebackers
coach before being named the team\‘s defensive coordinator in 2006.

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